Wednesday 13 December 2000 22.12 EST
First published on Wednesday 13 December 2000 22.12 EST

Dick Cheney

The vice-president elect was the first President Bush's defence secretary. He is another Texan oilman who sees the world through an oilman's eyes, with an inherent tendency to equate US interests with those of American big business. He was put on the ticket to compensate Bush Jr's inexperience in foreign affairs. This is, after all, a president elect who has been overseas fewer than half a dozen times in his life. It is reasonable to assume Mr Cheney will be taking the lead White House role in foreign policy-making in at least the first months of the new administration. Like Al Gore, he is likely to wield more power than has traditionally been the case for running mates. But unlike the outgoing veep, he is unlikely to be spending much of his power or time at global warming conferences.

Colin Powell

Another face from the old Bush court who as national security adviser helped run the Gulf war campaign alongside Mr Cheney. He is almost certain to become the new secretary of state, replacing Madeleine Albright's enthusiasm for humanitarian intervention (Kosovo is still thought of as "Madeleine's war") with the caution and pragmatism of a soldier who rose to the top by taking few risks and making few mistakes.

Condoleezza Rice

Ms Rice, who is expected to become President elect Bush's national security adviser, is cut from similar cloth. The Stanford academic is a generation younger than her two colleagues but she shares their mindset. As the Russian affairs adviser in the first Bush White House, she is a child of the cold war, with a much more hawkish view on Russia and China - as rivals rather than partners. She has also led the withdrawal from humanitarian intervention, promising Americans that their armed forces "are not the world's 911", an emergency service on 24-hour call.

Paul Wolfowitz

Mr Wolfowitz is likely to become the fourth corner of the new foreign policy. Mr Cheney's undersecretary in the old Bush regime is another cold war veteran who has been biding his time since as dean of the Johns Hopkins University's school of advanced international studies in Washington. A cold war hawk, he has been highly critical of the outgoing administration's handling of relations with Russia and China.

Larry Lindsey

One of the godfathers of supply-side economics, under which economic growth is fostered by tax cuts for the rich. Mr Lindsey is a former governor of the federal reserve and served the president elect's father as a White House economic policy guru. He is tipped to replace Larry Summers at the treasury, although it is possible that job will be given to a financier to build a bridge to Wall Street. In that case, Walter Shipley, the retired Chase Manhattan chairman, or Donald Marron, the head of investment house PaineWebber, could get the job, in which case Mr Lindsey might be compensated with the top job at the White House national economic council thinktank set up by President Clinton.

Andrew Card

Andy Card was deputy chief of staff under the governor's father, and has already been selected as a White House chief of staff. As a former lobbyist for General Motors, he is likely to be a friendly gatekeeper, opening the gates on Pennsylvania Avenue wide for big business, which donated a record amount to the Bush campaign and will be looking for a return on its investment.

Katherine Harris

The Florida secretary of state's future will be closely watched, since she played such a significant role in the events of the past month. She is a citrus heiress, who before becoming forever associated with dimpled ballots and hanging chads was Florida's cultural tsar. Before the election she had expected an ambassadorial posting for her efforts as co-chairwoman of the Bush campaign in Florida. She may now be considered radioactive when it comes to distributing largesse.